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Hashtag Trending – WannaCry politics, how algorithms work, bike share unchained

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The White House is shaming North Korea for the WannaCry attack. Learn how machine learning algorithms work by watching a cartoon. And why there might be thousands of more bicycles parked on your city’s streets very soon.

Popular on Facebook is the new U.S. allegations that North Korea is behind the WannaCry malware. This follows similar assertions from the U.K. a few weeks ago. WannaCry was a stunning ransomware attack that affected many organizations in Europe, including the U.K.’s national health services. The White House says that other countries should enforce sanctions against North Korea. It wants to shame the rogue regime in hopes it will think twice about future cyber attacks. The last time the U.S. openly accused North Korea of a cyber attack was in 2014. Then-President Barack Obama said it hacked Sony, causing damage to computer systems and eventual data breach of employee information.

Trending on Youtube, How Machines Learn. From C. G. P. Grey, this animated video seeks to explain what computer algorithms are, the many roles they are playing in modern society, and argues that we’ve entered into an era where humans can build algorithm-driven bots, but no longer understand how they work. It delves into the subject of how neural networks can be trained to recognize significant patterns by being fed a ton of data. It also touches on how those CAPTCHA tests you have to complete online are helping collect data that could train self-driving cars. If you’ve got 10 minutes, we’ve embedded it in our show notes on ITWorldCanada.com.

On LinkedIn, bike sharing programs could soon be freed of their shackles. Residents of major cities in North America will probably be dock-based bike sharing programs. But apparently in China, these bike sharing programs operate without docks. That’s right, the shared bikes are just out there on the street for anyone to use. Well, Seattle ran a pilot with a similar program this past summer, putting 9,000 dock-less bikes on the streets. Dallas will have 10,000 by the end of the year. It’s all made possible by a mobile app that allows you to make micro-payments to use the bikes. You also rate the previous rider on how well they parked the bicycle.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Cogeco Peer 1, the company that enables businesses to unlock their IT potential. Learn more at CP1.com.

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